Hantavirus Awareness

April 2019

Hantavirus is a virus that is found in the urine, saliva, or droppings of infected deer mice and some other wild rodents. It causes a rare but serious lung disease called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).

People can become infected with a hantavirus when they:

inhale virus particles from rodent urine, droppings or saliva that have been released into the air, this can happen when rodent waste is stirred up from vacuuming, dusting or sweeping.

touch objects or eat food contaminated with the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents

are bitten by a rodent infected with a hantavirus (this is rare)

There are a number of ways you can help to prevent a hantavirus infection:

If a wet mop was used to clean the area, use disinfectant and hot soapy water to clean the mop.

Symptoms of Hantavirus

tiredness

dizziness

fever and chills

muscle aches and headaches

nausea and vomiting

stomach pain

coughing

More severe symptoms may include:

shortness of breath

severe difficulty breathing

See a health care provider immediately if you have had contact with rodents or their droppings and urine and are showing some or all of the above symptoms. For more inforamtion on hantavirus click here.